Apparatus for determining fiber directionality
in moving web structures

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS TO DETERMINE FIBER DIRECTIONALITY IN MOVING WEB STRUCTURES. THE APPARATUS USES A FIBER PROPERTY OF DIRECTIONAL REFLECTANCE OF COLLIMATED LIGHT TO ESTABLISH FIBER POSITION (DIRECTION). COLLIMATED LIGHT IS PROJECTED ONTO A WEB SURFACE AND THE SCATTERED REFLECTED LIGHT IS SENSED BY MULTIPLE OPTICAL SENSORS. SINCE LIGHT IS REFLECTED GREATEST PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF THE FIBER AXIS, A MEASSURE OF OVERALL FIBER DIRECTIONALITY IS OBTAINED BY COMPARING THE PICKUP OF STRATEGICALLY PLACED PHOTO SENSORS. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES THREE SECTIONS: SCANNING HEADS FOR MONITORING UPPER AND LOWER WEB SURFACES; ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS TO COMPARE THE SIGNAL OUTPUTS OF THE PHOTO SENSORS IN THE SCANNING HEADS TO OBTAIN RELATED VALUES OF FIBER DIRECTIONALITY; AND A CONTROLLED POWER SUPPLY AND ILLUMINATION SOURCE. THE DEGREE OF ILLUMINATION IS CONTROLLED BY THE GENERAL BRIGHTNESS OF THE MATERIAL BEING MEASURED SO THAT A CONSTANT LEVEL OF REFLECTANCE IS MAINTAINED.

DEFENSIVE PUBLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICEPublished at the request of the applicant or owner in accordance withthe Notice of Dec. 16, 1969, 869 0.6. 687. The abstracts of DefensivePublication applications are identified by distinctly numbered seriesandare arranged chronologically. The heading of each abstract indicates thenumber of pages of specification, including claims and sheets ofdrawings contained in the application as originally filed. The files ofthese applications are available to the public for inspection andreproduction may be purchased for 30 cents a sheet.

Defensive Publication applications have not been examined as to themerits or alleged invention. The Patent and Trademark Otncc makes noassertion as to the novelty of the disclosed subject matter.

PUBLISHED MARCH 4, 1975 E r i An apparatus to determine fiberdirectionality in moving web structures. The apparatus uses a fiberproperty of directional reflectance of collimated light to establishfiber position (direction). Collimatcd light is projected onto a websurface and the scattered reflected light is sensed by multiple opticalsensors. Since light is reflected greatest perpendicular to thedirection of the fiber axis, a measore of overall fiber directionalityis obtained by comparing the pickup of strategically placed photosensors. The apparatus includes three sections: scanning heads formonitoring upper and lower web surfaces; electronic circuits to comparethe signal outputs of the photo sensors in the scanning heads to obtainrelated values of fiber directionality; and a controlled power supplyand illumination source. The degree of illumination is controlled by thegeneral brightness of the material being measured so that a constantlevel of reflectance is maintaincd.

March 4, 1975 1.. s. DAVIS ET AL T932308 APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING FIBERDIHECTIONALITY IN MOVING WEB STRUCTURES 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed July 11,1974 FIG.4

March 4, 1975 Filed July 11, 1974 L S. DAVIS ETAL APPARATUS ronDETERMINING FIBER DIRECTIONALI'IY n1 uovms WEB s-rnuc'runns 3Sheets-Sheet 2 March 4. 1975 5, DAVIS ET AL T93Z,008

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING FIBER DIRECTIONAL-1T1 IN uovme WEB STRUCTURESF1196 July 11, 1974 3 ShGQtS-Sheet 3 66 r r VV N 1 2 l I l I l J- ISVDC.

